John Cope (British army officer)

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Sir John Cope, KB (1690 - 1760) was a British general. He was in command of the government forces at the Battle of Prestonpans, and was defeated by the Jacobite Charles Edward Stuart there in 1745. This is commemorated by Adam Skirving's heavily mythologized song Heigh! Johnnie Cowp, are ye wauken yet? (Hey Johnie Cope, are you awake yet?). When Johnny Cope surveyed the forces that Bonny Prince Charlie has amassed against him, Cope chose to gain the dubious honor as the first English general to deliver the news of his own defeat by fleeing the battle and leaving his men without a commander. As a result, the Battle of Prestonpans lasted approximately 15 minutes as the Scots under Prince Charlie routed the headless English force. Cope was appointed Knight of the Bath (KB).

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.